Everton vs West Ham LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Neal Maupay goal breaks deadlock

Arsenal are better. Arsenal are ready. Arsenal are back. From where and what they’re ready for is still up for debate, but the excited masses of supporters have been – entirely understandably – near-giddy at the Gunners sitting top of the early Premier League table.

Unquestionably, there is greater cohesion in parts of the team at the start of this season, better depth in key areas and individual improvement on show in the squad.

On the sidelines, Mikel Arteta continues to cut an invested, demanding figure. He deserves credit for Arsenal being a more watchable, enjoyable (oh, and a more frequently winning) team for sure, even if there remains more than a tinge of over-animation about his technical area dramatics.

More than a few have expressed the opinion of it being faintly comedic watching the Spaniard in action: furiously gesticulating and stretching to bellow orders at a player three yards away from him on a throw-in, or burying his face in his hands after the concession of a goal.

But therein also lies a part of the puzzle to solve which now confronts the Gunners: to truly transition into a side which can compete at the top again, they must be able to handle setbacks far better than the evidence until this point suggests.

Brentford have scored an unrivalled four Premier League goals from outside the penalty area this season. They only netted three such goals in the entire 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

The Bees have grown in confidence in front of goal but Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney especially keen to get shots off for all around the penalty area.

Arsenal have gone 23 Premier League matches without a draw - 16 wins, seven defeats - the longest ongoing run of sides currently in the top flight.

Thomas Frank’s side have scored 15 top-flight goals this term, a figure bettered only by Manchester City. The Londoners are averaging 2.5 goals per game, compared to 1.3 in their debut Premier League campaign.

They have outperformed their expected goals total (10.2) by almost five and will prove a threat to Arsenal this afternoon.

Thomas Frank hailed Gareth Southgate’s classy touch of allowing the Brentford manager to break the news to Ivan Toney that he had made the England squad.

Clinical striker Toney earned his maiden England call-up on Thursday, with the 26-year-old now eyeing the chance to push for a spot at November’s World Cup.

Toney became Brentford’s first England pick in 83 years, leaving the west Londoners in buoyant mood ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal.

And the Bees’ Danish manager Frank made a point of thanking Southgate for allowing him to share in Toney’s special moment.

Arsenal have won five of their last eight league games away to fellow London clubs which is as many as they had in their previous 23 attempts.

They can win three successive top-flight London derbies for the first time since March 2015 if they are victorious today.

Thomas Frank makes two changes to the Brentford team that started in the 5-2 victory against Leeds last time out. Shandon Baptiste and Keane Lewis-Potter drop out with Josh Dasilva and Kristoffer Ajer coming in. It also looks like a change in formation with Frank preferring five at the back against the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta meanwhile makes three changes to the Arsenal side that lost to Manchester United. Martin Odegaard isn’t with the squad after picking up a knock in training so Fabio Vieira earns a starting place. Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney both return with Oleksandr Zinchenko out injured and Albert Sambi Lokonga on the bench.

Brentford XI: Raya; Hickey, Ajer, Jansson, Mee, Henry; Jensen, Janelt, Dasilva; Mbeumo, Toney

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Vieira, Martinelli; Jesus

Brentford’s only defeat in their last 17 home league London derbies was a 1-0 loss to Chelsea in October 2021. They have won 13 and drawn three such games during that run including a victory over Arsenal last season.

Can they extend that today or will the Gunners inflict a second defeat on the Bees?

Brentford boss, Thomas Frank, says that Arsenal have been the best performing team so far this year and can possibly even go on to win the Premier League title. He added that the Gunners are a different side to the one that Brentford defeated on the opening game of the season last year and if the Bees repeat that performance it will be a brilliant result

“We are playing against a very good side. When we beat them a year ago, I think they were not in the same place as they are now.” said Frank, “Doing it on Sunday would be completely different because for me, now, after Manchester City, they are the best performing team in the league.

“Maybe, in spells, they’ve been the best performing team over the first six games. I think they’ve been remarkable, especially the intensity they play with.

“I remember being sat there on the Friday night for their opening game of the season watching them against Crystal Palace. I was thinking, ‘What?! That’s another level’. For the first 20 minutes, Crystal Palace didn’t touch the ball. And I thought, ‘They could win the Premier League!’”